librarianryan 's review for:

Watson and Holmes - A Study In Black by Archie Van Buren, Jay David Ramos, Paul Mendoza, Rick Leonardi, Nicole McDonnell, Larry Stroman, Dave Lanphear, Wilson Ramos Jr., GuruEFX, Karl Bollers, Brandon Perlow, Taylor Esposito
2.5
dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

 
The art in this book was amazing, but the violence was so over the top that it was hard to put myself in the story.  This modern version puts Watson and Holmes as Black men in Harlem.  Holmes is still a private eye, but one willing and likely to use a gun and get in street fights.  He still uses his mind but comes off more brute than brain.  Watson is just a medical intern, and he has lost his heart.  He is an Afghanistan war veteran with PTSD who feels pulled to Holmes.  However, the friendship between the two does not feel real.  It feels more like hero worship.  Watson seems more inclined to find action like his military duty, while Holmes is not so much about showing and learning, as bragging and snobbery.  I wanted to like this but didn’t.  However, I think the main problem is I am the wrong audience.  I have never lived in Harlem or neighborhoods like it.  I have never had to deal with the issues and hardships of inner-city life.  So, to someone else, this book is probably amazing, and I think libraries should carry it, but for me, it just was not my thing.